New Beginnings
by thebluemartian
Summary: Hotch returns from vacation to meet Blake's replacement, Jo Pierce: a well educated and highly successful agent with a great track record and a hard past to overcome. Jo quickly fits into the BAU family and forms a close friendship with Hotch. But how will he fare in keeping secrets from his team to protect his new friend? Ad will he find an unexpected romance? Hotch/OC.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: This will be a multi-part fic. If the beginning comes off a bit anti-Blake I apologize. I just don't quite care for her character, got bored of her the first episode. Besides, I needed to make room for my OC.

I don't own Criminal Minds. I wish I did though.

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He wasn't sure how they managed to convince him or how he adhered to the team's wishes but for once in his life Aaron Hotchner went on a three week vacation without turning on his cell phone or checking in with the team. He struggled the first two days, constantly wondering if he was needed but a single message sent to the front desk of his hotel courtesy of Garcia put that to rest. And once he saw Jack's smile wider than he had in years as he stared at Shamu playing in the water, he learned to forget about the job and simply relax, at least for the duration of this rare vacation away with his son. He even forgot to worry that in his absence Rossi and Garcia were left to interview and hire Blake's replacement. He trusted their judgment, and Garcia's skills in performing background checks. But of course, he became far too anxious during his drive in on the morning of his return to not call Dave and find out if he would be meeting a potential new colleague today.

"Do you have any idea how early you're calling?" Dave grumbled, the sound of a breakfast sandwich wrapper clear from his side the call.

Hotch smiled to himself. His best friend was always grumpy when a time crunch forced him to start his day off all wrong on a 'subpar, barely human' breakfast provided by the donut shop around the corner.

"Did you make a hire?" Hotch pulled on his many years of stoicism to keep his amusement out of his tone. It would only set the other senior profiler off on a long tangent he didn't have the patience for. Not today when he would be returning to a mountain of paper work and so, so much to be caught up on.

Dave put down the remainder of his imitation-egg-and-cheese bagel and remembered his instructions from Garcia. She was quite clear on how to introduce the newest member of the team. "We did. SSA Jo Pierce, an expert in group psychology over from organized crime. Has a doctorate and everything. I wouldn't drop the doctor title when you meet today. It's just Jo's preference."

Hotch nodded, a little impressed if he was honest. He hadn't quite warmed up to how much of a know-it-all Blake could sometimes be. Having someone well educated but focused on the job and not their vast knowledge was something he was truly looking forward to in her replacement. He suspected Rossi and Garcia took that into consideration when interviewing the new candidates. "I guess being an agent must mean more then." He stopped himself from trying to profile the new agent any more. It never served to get too far ahead of oneself, especially when they would be meeting soon… "Wait, today?"

Dave snickered, sure that Hotch hadn't been quite so prepared to meet a new agent in the same manner that Morgan and Garcia had met Blake. His need for control was probably spinning him through a whole long list of questions as to how much training has occurred and what not but he knew personally that agent Pierce was perhaps one of the most qualified applicants he ever saw. After all, Pierce joined the bureau at twenty after two years already in the workforce helping a few top 500 corporations get to where they are today. Having earned a PhD at eighteen and already as financially set as Rossi himself, Jo decided public service was a new calling and was immediately accepted into the bureau where seven years in organized crime, including three consecutively spent in deep cover, more than proved the younger agent's worth.

Rossi explained this all to Hotch and was glad the other man seemed to be impressed. And truly, Hotch was. He'd been just as impressed when Gideon brought Reid on board but this new agent had incredible field experience as well, something he truly respected. Three years of deep cover was a lot for any person to handle. Indeed his only concern was how that might have molded Pierce in relation to fellow agents. It wouldn't be the first time someone in such deep cover came to find it hard to relate to colleagues when they came back to the workplace. Going from violent crimes committed by those around you to an office was a tough transition. But, he wasn't going to get ahead of himself. At the very least all those other agents had learned to work well independently. "So I take it we won't need to do too much hand holding then. And agent Pierce already began with the team?"

Rossi withheld comment that some members of the team might actually prefer to hold this particular agent's hand, if he got his drift. Of course, with how his sex life had been the last year Hotch might not get it at all. "Yup. Started at the beginning of last week, worked the last two cases with us and is already fitting in as well as Emily ever did. Especially popular among the women I might add."

_Great._ Hotch thought. _Another Morgan_, _another Dave._ Don't get him wrong, Morgan and Dave were great friends but he didn't need yet another ladies man around.

Dave sensed this, also noticing the sound of the lobby downstairs as Aaron passed through the metal detectors. He knew his worries would soon be obliterated. "Don't worry so much. I am sure you won't have any sexual harassment claims to deal with." He added in a rather sardonic tone.

"Good." Hotch returned, comforted by the feel of the elevator brining him close to his second home of the BAU office. He hated to admit it, but as much fun as he had with his son he really, truly missed his job and the team. "I'm almost here."

Dave got up from his desk and walked to the elevator doors. "See you in a few." He snapped his phone shut and took a few moments to school his humored smirk away from his lips. He really liked agent Pierce and was excited to see how his best friend would view his and Kitten's choice.

Hotch grinned a bit when he saw his friend waiting and joined him in a small hug and some small chat about how well his vacation went, what Jack loved about Orlando and the Disney cruise to follow as they walked to Aaron's office and got him resettled. Hotch unpacked his brief case, took a quick peak at the large stack of files on his desk that was far too small for three weeks of missed work – the team must have all helped- and then decided he really needed a coffee.

Dave followed him there to refresh his own cup and once Hotch got a large gulp of the liquid black gold down he finally asked the question. "So, when does Agent Pierce usually get in?"

Rossi took a sip from his own mug. "Already here. Look in Kitten's office. She had said something about them sampling each other's preferred lattes while she booted up the babies."

Both agents rolled their eyes at Garcia's mother hen instinct turned onto her computers and made their way towards Garcia's office. As Hotch neared he was a bit startled to hear the echoing giggles of two distinctly feminine voices, one not familiar to him, and even more startled to see a younger woman with silk,y long, dark hair and one of the prettiest faces he'd ever seen raise from her seat upon spotting him. He couldn't help but notice her trim but curvy figure, the slight upturn of her lips that he would guess was a permanent fixture and reached to her dark brown eyes and the demure yet striking combination of her black skirt suit paired with a satin magenta camisole and matching high heels. His mind momentarily likened his first impression of the woman to if someone had taken JJ, Emily and Garcia, rolled them into a pile of dough and baked up a new woman.

She held out her hand to him. "You must be agent Hotchner." She smiled, pleased to finally meet her new boss. She'd already really felt like she made a place here among her new team. Penelope even said she was fitting into their 'family' just fine. She hoped her boss, who she couldn't help notice was as handsome as JJ said he was, would approve of her. She'd hate to be transferred away. While always a well-respected colleague she never really fit in well with others in the bureau before this assignment. It meant more than she could say to stick around long term. "I'm Jo Pierce."

He had to take a second to swish everything he'd been expecting out of his mind. "I'm sorry, I had thought—" Lord did he feel like an idiot. An idiot with a boyish grin he wished he could wipe from his face but none the less…

She smirked a bit and stopped him. "That I was a man? Don't worry, happens a lot. It's Josephine but they always called me Jo in college and it stuck."

"Plus," Garcia butt in. "I did give my Italian Stallion clear instructions to not use pronouns." At the Hotch glare shot her way she lost a bit of her smirk. "Sorry boss man, but it was so worth the look on your face."

And for once, surprising Dave and Garcia, Hotch actually chuckled. His long, deep chuckle that no one had seemed to hear since before his divorce, and he retook Jo's hand to shake it more fully. "Well, welcome to the team." He couldn't help but laugh. He was giddy, actually giddy. He couldn't figure out why, but he wasn't going to argue with it.

"There you all are!" JJ poked her head in, happy when she saw Hotch seemed to not be extremely pissed off by Garcia's little prank. The whole team knew of it though she had her reservations as to if he'd take it well. "Strauss called before you got here Pen. We have a case in Tulsa. War room in five."

Hotch let Jo follow Dave out of Garcia's office before he turned to the bubbly blonde. "Garcia?"

"Yes boss man?" She looked up from her babies, getting ready to join the team with the case files to present to the team that Strauss had just asked her to pull via email. "You want the dirt I assume?"

Hotch sighed a bit in relief. Leave it to Penelope, the only non-profiler on the team, to read you like a book. "You know, having you join the team is still one of the best decisions I ever made."

She smirked a bit, knowing that was the truth. "Don't act so surprised mon capitiane, that should be obvious. But to put your curiosity and anxiousness to rest, trust me. She's a keeper."

Hotch nodded and made his way to the war room, glad that deep down he trusted just that.

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	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Thank you all for the reviews and follows. I hope I can deliver you and OC you will enjoy.

On a side note. I was honored to have been nominated in two categories, best Hotch/Garcia and best Rossi/Garcia, in the Profiler's Choice Awards on CCOAC forum. Please cast your ballot today to support your favorite stories and authors.

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It took the whole week that the team spent in Tulsa on the multiple missing persons case but finally Hotch had caught up with all that had happened in his absence. JJ and Will had a big fight in the middle of the bull pen but their argument seemed to have been resolved. Morgan and Garcia took a quick trip to see his mother in the hospital but she came out all right. Reid and Rossi took on a good deal of his paperwork and everyone had pitched in with getting Jo welcomed to the team while he was on vacation. He was thankful to them but had to admit that he wished he'd been able to get to know more of the younger agent like everyone else had before him.

To that end, when a case popped up in southern Virginia the team paired off for the hour drive with Hotch and Jo together in the lead SUV. It was Rossi's idea but he'd been glad for the chance to have a real conversation with her. He hadn't had much of an opportunity with the fast paced case they'd just been working on to get to know her. In fact he'd hardly interacted with her at all.

"You must either really love or really hate paperwork to be so focused on it." Pierce finally broke the forty minutes of silence in the SUV since she had volunteered to drive so he could catch up on some things. She didn't mind not listening to music or not talking. She was oddly comfortable with both of those happenings but she did want to get to know her new boss.

Hotch hid the faint rise of the corner of his lips. If she only knew. "With the amount I do on a daily basis whether I love or hate it never seems to matter." And with that he closed the file he'd been working on, willing to take any excuse from continuing. He had a massive migraine. No one knew it but reading in the car always did that to him. "But thank you for driving. It's nice to get through some of this backlog."

Jo nodded a bit and glanced his way, noticing him rest his head back against the seat. "You know what I was just reminded of?"

Hotch looked to her with some interest. "Anything that would cure a headache?" He wasn't sure why he'd just been so open about that. He never liked to let on about his ailments but then again he had been thoroughly warned that he better open up to Jo. Garcia had been clear that she was going to be around for a _long_ time if she had anything to say about it and he better not screw her family up. All he could do in response was sip on his coffee and ask her to work on a case brief he needed.

"Yup." She smiled. "Give me your hand." She held out her right hand towards him, her other still on the wheel. She could tell he was reluctant by how long it took her to feel his hand in hers but she was glad for it. Maybe he was beginning to trust her like the others had come to do already. "Apparently there is a pressure point right here." She gently pinched the flesh between his thumb and index fingers, starting to rub and manipulate it. "It stimulates a nerve that has your body produce a hormone which functions similar to aspirin."

He wasn't used to much physical contact among members of his team but it did occasionally happen and while she was still so new and unknown to him he had to admit it wasn't unpleasant, and it was working on his headache. "Thank you." He sighed and decided to straighten up a bit in his seat when she pulled her hand back to the wheel. "How did you learn about that?"

Jo had learned long ago how to school her face to casual. That was an essential skill in undercover work and it was coming in handy now. "Just something I remember from a kid." She quickly changed topics, aware from the small raise in Hotch's brown he caught on but ignored it. "Do you want to swing through Sonic? We won't have time to eat when we get there."

Hotch decided that was a good idea and before long they were back on the road with a corn dog (which Jo claimed was the easiest driving food around) and the watermelon coke she insisted they each try. He had let the conversation lag and much to his dismay it didn't seem to be bothering Jo in the least so it was up to him to make it pick up again. "So, what made you join organized crime when you first came to the bureau?"

Jo delicately finished her sip of coke before answering. "Actually I had spent almost three years in counter terrorism before I switch to organized crime. I still focused on the Middle East there which is why they had me transfer to begin with. I was needed for an undercover operation so I went." She shrugged, it wasn't that fascinating of a tale. "After a year of undercover ops they needed me for a deep cover mission which crossed both departments. Took three years but it was worth the end result."

That was one thing he did know about her. Garcia gave him the scoop between this case and the last. Pierce had been placed as a nanny in the household of the leader of a Middle Eastern mafia unit which unlike most organized crime units, had ties to sleeper cells on the east coast. She gained the trust of her employer and was sent to do small errands and eventually some deliveries to these cells. It was that which eventually broke up an attempted shipment of stolen anthrax and helped the bureau lock down five sleeper cells.

"Three years though, didn't your family miss you?" He realized too late how insensitive of a question that must have been. He himself didn't know how much longer he could handle being away so often from Jack but he at least got to see him.

"I don't have any family." She shrugged, trying to show it wasn't a big deal.

"None?" He didn't want to intrude into her private business but she seemed to not mind. Rossi had told him she was very open about most things so this didn't seem out of line.

She sighed a bit. "No. I was raised in a state orphanage most of my life before getting accepted to boarding school and then college."

Oh. That was pretty much all Hotch could think before he wondered why it seems so many members of the BAU have such difficult pasts. "What about friends?"

Again Pierce cast a small glance to her boss and snapped at him a bit in her tone. "Never really had any of those either." She winced internally at how lonely that made her seem. She was lonely, yes. But she didn't want to show that off to anyone. "Sorry sir, I didn't mean to be rude."

Aaron waved it off. "No, I was rude. And call me Hotch, or Aaron." He added as an afterthought. "The only person that calls me sir is Garcia when she thinks I'm mad at her." He was happy to see a small smile return to her face and a giggle escape her lips.

"I like her and this team a lot. Do you know she nearly threw a fit when she realized it was my thirtieth birthday and I wouldn't be doing anything to celebrate? Finally I had to just let her have her way." She shook her head in amusement and realized from the corner of her eye that Hotch was doing the same.

"Yeah, she has a way of making you bend to her will doesn't she?" He echoed her opinion of Garcia to a T. "She's always been good at things like that."

Pierce nodded in full agreement. "I never knew it was possible for someone to pull a party together so fast!" It had touched her so much to have gained a person, no people, in her life that wanted to see her happy. Having that made her a bit more giggly and giddy than she'd been in years.

Hotch knew Garcia must have loved being able to take in another potential friend under her wing. He himself found that he was really warming up to the newest member of the team as they neared their final destination. She was easy to relate to and while he was concerned at how she hadn't made any real friends before he wasn't overly worried. She was complex and yet open about her pain. It was something he admired and he was looking forward to more time getting to know the woman beside him.

"So, why the BAU?"

Jo quirked an eyebrow. "Am I under the famous Hotchner interrogation? Because if so, it's not all that bad."

Hotch schooled his expression into a nearly stoic state to hide how amused he was by her. He wasn't quite used to humor on the job and couldn't quite figure out if it was just Jo, how he related to her or the after effects of his extended vacation. "Just trying to get to know you. I didn't get to be in on the interview after all."

As Jo pulled into the parking lot of the local police station where they had their case waiting to be solved she thought momentarily on how Hotch probably needed just a bit more details before he could be fully comfortable relying on her during the case. "Well," She turned off the engine and unbuckled herself. "I'd had enough of all my actions being so indirect. Undercover ops are hardcore but so much of what you do is just information blah blah blah. And I knew I could do more. Profiling is a challenge I can live up to and still be stimulated and have a real impact."

Hotch reached for his brief case in the back seat and handed Jo her own. "Well, we're lucky to have you."

Jo couldn't help but flash a large smile in return. "Not as lucky as I am to be here. But I was wondering," she paused when she saw his head flip back to her.

"You were wondering?" He urged her on, noticing her slight nibble on her lips. Nervous. She was nervous.

She didn't know why, she was never really that in touch with her emotions to figure that part out, but she was at least able to gleam that she was edgy at brining this up to the near perfect stranger examining her with his dark brown eyes. "Well I never has much experience with interrogations before and since you sorta wrote the book on it…" she veered off, a bit embarrassed. "Never mind."

"No!" Aaron insisted, changing his tone to a bit more subdued when he found himself surprised at how eager he was to work with her on this. "No, of course. I'm glad you asked. Because while I might know interrogations, if what some of what we are seeing is accurate this could be more than the potential unsub in custody. It could group and I could use you on that. It's a whole new dynamic for us to examine."

She nodded and they turned their focus to the work before them as the entire teamed gathered at the station and the lead detective walked them through what they had gathered so far.

-criminal minds-

"Great work everyone." Hotch complimented his team as they loaded back onto the jet just before take off.

Everyone cracked a smirk. It wasn't often that the BAU was able to catch their unsub before the next victim was harmed but they succeeded in this case. Rossi knew for sure and the others suspected it was the combination of Hotch and Pierce that put it all into gear so well. It was only one month and four cases they had worked together since their first duo case in Virginia and yet they seemed like they had been seasoned partners, constantly working off one another's ideas. While utilizing the expertise of the group as a whole it was something Hotch had said that gave Jo the sudden insight that the group of four unsubs had to have been educated together from an early age. That was how they found them, the only four people in the area that had been to boarding school together, roomed together, gone off to college together… you get the idea. It was a startling quick end to the profile, taking only two days and allowing them to find the next victim before she could be raped and murdered. And all because the two worked so well with one another.

Rossi said as much to Hotch.

"It was a team effort." Hotch replied simply, turning his attention to the case file he had to review for court tomorrow.

"Oh cut the crap Aaron." Dave smirked when the other man sent his glare over the file he was reading. He was immune to it by now. "That was great work back there and you know it."

A faint lift of the corner of his mouth was all Hotch had in reply to that. "Pierce really is working out well. I guess I owe you a drink for making the good hire." He cast his glance over to the woman in question absorbed in a conversation with Reid about a book signing they were thinking of attending.

Rossi snorted a bit. "More like you owe Kitten, but I'll take a drink." His grin was large and wide showing all of his teeth. "Maybe we can even got to a bar find you a woman to hit on, maybe even laid."

Aaron narrowed his eyes at his friend. He was the only person that knew for sure, though the entire team suspected that he never actually had sex with Beth during their short relationship. And she'd been the only one he dated seriously since his Haley. Sure, after Beth he'd had a few dates here or there and he had a good time but he just couldn't find someone he jived with enough to make a part of Jack's life. He realized too late how confused Jack became once he and Beth broke up. While it seemed that he had moved so slow to others he had to go even slower and be surer of his own feelings before letting Jack become so caught up in his girlfriend. He honestly wondered if he would even have the opportunity to make that sort of introduction again.

Jarring him from his thoughts Dave cleared his throat, apology in his tone. "I didn't mean anything by it Aaron. Why don't we take the team out? Kitten has been on us to go to that new comedy club."

"You know I'm not really into standup. I don't have a sense of humor." Hotch remarked dryly.

"No, but the girls do. And JJ said Jo is kind of obsessed with them." Personally he could use a laugh. Even Erin had shown some interest in going the other day when Garcia had brought it up in front of her. He wasn't sure why the technical analyst gave him a funny look when she had decided to invite the boss along but he was going to keep an eye on it.

Aaron eyed him cautiously. "Is that supposed to convince me to give up time with my son?"

Rossi wasn't sure where that animosity came from and was slightly taken aback. "I just think you should get out get to know Jo more. It's obvious you two get along and work exceptionally well together. If you actually got off your ass and reached out to her you might just make a new friend. Remember those? It's been a while."

Once again Hotch was startled by his friend's insights into his life. It was true, other than the team, people who have been with him for as long as Haley has been gone he hasn't really made a new friend. Sure, there was Beth but that was the problem, or one of them. They were trying to become a couple but weren't really friends to begin with. And since, he's just stopped trying. He hasn't even been making it to play dates for Henry and Jack anymore. But he still had reservations. "I-"

Immediately Dave cut him off in his wise tone. "But you don't trust women as much as men." He leaned forward at his friend's nod. "You don't have to trust all women Aaron. But you do have to trust those on your team. Look at her." Both men let their glance linger for a moment on Jo who had now shifted her attention to JJ. "She's lonely. She doesn't appear so at the front but she's just like you and needs someone to reach out. Luckily, you've had me."

He smirked a bit at his friend's self pat on the back, but it was deserved. "I suppose you're right." He conceded.

"Of course I'm right. You know, she's the type of person that's too shy to really let someone in, even if on the surface she's an open book. She's great at acquaintances. Even nearing friendship but she doesn't really let anyone in the emotional sphere. It made her great at undercover work but really, she needs to open up some."

Hotch knew the comment 'and so do you' was silently tagged on to that last part. And his friend was right. As he thought back on the last few cases the team has had he noticed how Jo was so eager to spend time with the girls when they invited her out and how she actually clutched on to Reid's little speeches about this or that. She was genuinely nice but there was something lacking in her ability to connect. Years of compartmentalization probably did that to a person. It was almost like Emily, except that where Emily had a parent that taught her how to do so, Jo never had anyone to teach her anything.

Hotch rested his file folder on the table in front of him with a sigh. "Jessica wanted to take Jack to the movies with her boyfriend's kids anyhow. I suppose a few hours with the team after we land wouldn't kill me."

Rossi reclined back in his seat and picked up his magazine with triumph in his eyes. "No, it wouldn't." Was all he said on the matter until the jet landed back at Quantico.

Just as Hotch was about to regret agreeing to going to the comedy club when Rossi asked the group to go as soon as he had walked into the bull pen, he became utterly surprised.

"Actually," Jo spoke up before anyone could respond. "I was going to invite you all to my house for a little pool party. I don't care either way, but this way JJ and Hotch could have their kids there too."

"Oh!" Garcia clapped her hands in excitement. "I love pool parties. Please say yes mommy and daddy! I never get to see my munchkins anymore." It was early Friday afternoon in the middle of July and if she got to get out of work at a normal hour and start a real weekend she might just die of happiness.

JJ's smile stretched near ear to ear at her friend's excitement over seeing her son and instantly agreed, calling Will when Derek, Rossi and Reid all agreed too. Only Hotch was hesitant until Jo baited him with "I have a water slide." He knew all too well how mad Jack would be at him if he missed out on that.

He slid into his office and called Jessica, informing her he'd be picking Jack up in an hour after he finished his paperwork (deciding to put some off until Sunday). He let Jo and Garcia off half an hour early so they could go get everything ready and because both had already handed in their reports. Jo was good about that, she would sit down to her paperwork right away and usually have her file ready for him on the jet ride home. He certainly appreciated it.

With a glance at his watch and a rare grin tugging at his lips he closed his file, grabbed his things and answered his cell phone on his way out to his car, delighting in the sound of Jack's excited greeting of "Is there really going to be a water slide!"

It was enough to put one of his rare genuine smiles onto his face.

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